Creative Corner - Mar08

More Magic, Less Logic

The battle for the right side of the brain

If I were to say stylish black silhouettes dancing energetically against a brightly coloured background, I'll bet my Gold Lion all of you would know I'm talking about the iPod commercials.

Now imagine if Apple had decided to take the logic route and demonstrate to us instead what the iPod was all about and how to use it. The script would probably have read like this: Open on iTunes being installed on computer, then CDs being loaded up. Cut to iPod being connected to computer. Cut to people enjoying their iPods. Who's going to remember that?

Unfortunately, these days, more often than not, logic overtakes magic in creativity. Clients find comfort in knowing that information is related clearly to consumers in functional ads. But what's the point of having an information-packed ad if it's too boring to even be noticed.

At the risk of sounding shallow, allow me to demonstrate my point. In a crowd, who do you notice first? A beautiful woman or a well-informed one?

That is not to say ads need only be beautifully art directed to capture our attention. While they do have a better chance of standing out, the best ones have a magical quality which surprise us in an unexpected way

Obviously, just being creative for the sake of it will not do a brand any good. Pulling your pants down to attract attention isn't the answer. How you convey your message is just as important as what you say. Keeping it simple is essential in these information-overload times.

The trick is making sure that it is delivered in an unusual and memorable way. This is where magic comes in. Magic is used to surprise, entertain and amaze the audience. If used well, the rewards will far outweigh the risk. Because no matter how many times you've seen a bunny pulled out of hat, you never tire of it.

There has always been a tension between the right and left side of the brain. Logic seems a safer choice, whereas magical creativity comes with more risks. It's always harder to challenge and change the system (and maybe lose your job while you're at it). But the fact Apple computers redefined and changed the way they designed and marketed their computers is living proof it can be extremely advantageous.

In 1999, when the candy-coloured iMacs were launched, it appealed to the creative side instead of the typical logical side of computer users. Their phenomenal success triggered a whole new category of wannabe colour computers. Of course, we might not be successful all the time, but if we didn't try, we'd still be living in a world of black computers.

Ads with magic also have emotional appeal. While it's easier to state what you want to say about your product, your consumers will have better recall when you find a way to touch their hearts.

You can't research a smile. That's why many magical ads fail miserably in research. Research after all, is based on qualitative and quantitative results which ask very logical questions. If one of the 2006 Gunn Report's most awarded TV commercials had gone through the research grind, it would probably never have been made. Logic would have argued that 250,000 multi-coloured balls bouncing down the streets of San Francisco to an emotional score would not have been a compelling reason for consumers to purchase an LCD TV. Yet today, everyone remembers this wonderful piece of magic as the Sony Bravia ad. It has become top-of-mind, whether they're buying an LCD TV or not.

Tay Guan Hin

Regional Executive Creative Director SE Asia

JWT, Singapore